Naoko Ogigami; 2017; Japan; 127 min.; in Japanese with English subtitles

CLOSE-KNIT, reportedly the very first transgender-centered film made in Japan, explores the everyday struggles of Rinku (Toma Ikuta), a transgender Japanese woman, through the perspective of Tomo, a lonely, neglected youth (Rinka Kakihara) seeking solace and a stable home when her mother abandons her. Tomo’s frustrations begin to be channeled when Rinku shares her skill at knitting. The concept of the “chosen family” looms large in this painfully tender and wistfully photographed tale of love in a time of great strife, which also peels back the layers of provincial Japanese transphobia.

Fox Fisher; 2017; UK; 58 min.; in English and Icelandic with English subtitles

Fox and Owl Fisher are nonbinary trans activists from the UK—and they want to share what that means for them. With help from their community and loved ones, they explore issues such as legal recognition, language, health care, and social acceptance, delineating the challenges that they and many other people like them face daily. While education and social justice are at the heart of this film, it is also a love story of two people from different backgrounds finding each other. Through romance and activism, this couple defies gender norms and resists systems of oppression.

Content Warning: Vulgar language

Opening Short 1: COSMOPOLITAN.COM'S “I AM BEAUTIFUL”: JACOB TOBIA

Jason Ikeler; 2017; USA; 4 min.

For Jacob, using the pronoun “they” shows that gender is limitless. Jacob describes the ongoing process they went through to identify as genderqueer.

Opening Short 2: FLASH FLOOD: A ROTOSCOPED DOCUMENTARY

Alli MacKay; 2017; Canada; 6 min.

Intimate transgender testimonials are paired with dreamlike animation of three people stranded by a cataclysmic flood, while memories and introspections well up from deep within.

Marie-Pierre Grenier; 2017; Canada; 70 min.; in French with English subtitles

In this humorous and nostalgic biopic, the magnetic and mischievous transgender elder Michel Gagnon vividly relates the roller-coaster story his colorful love life, accented with masterful puppetry. He lays bare a life full of courage, sex positivity, and fierce self-assurance in the face of stuffy sensibilities and transphobia. Director Marie-Pierre Grenier weaves the presence of the documentarian into the fullness of Michel’s life. The result is a film that asks the viewer to bear witness and honor the complexities of our trans elders, and to walk away empowered to live a similar life of richness, intrigue, and intimacy.

Content Warning: Sexual descriptions/discussion

Opening Short: TAKE A WALK ON THE WILDSIDE

Lisa Rideout; 2017; Canada; 15 min.

A small shop in Canada offers more than just wigs. For decades it has provided a place to be seen, heard, and transformed, under the loving care of owner Paddy.

Kase Pena; 2017; USA; 4 min.; in English and Spanish with English subtitles

Kase is a Dominican transgender man raised in New York City. This love letter to his family for their unconditional support gives him strength to work with LGBTQ homeless youth.

THE STATION

Daniel Foerste; 2017; USA; 12 min.

Christmas can be a difficult time of year for many, especially those who have identities outside what is considered “normal.” This short gives us a look into the relationship between two brothers and the power of healing with the help of a campy guardian angel.

WALK FOR ME

Elegance Bratton; 2016; USA; 12 min.

Trans teen Hanna learns the meaning of family when she discovers the New York gay ball scene.

Content Warning: Identity Based Abuse or Harassment, Nudity

XANH

Sal Tran; 2017; USA; 15 min.; in English and Vietnamese with English subtitles

Xanh’s mother is a seamstress who polices Xanh’s gender presentation through the creation of feminine clothes. As their mom continuously criticizes their wardrobe, Xanh experiences nightmares that push them to search for peace within.

Content Warning: Nudity/Drug Use/Swearing or Verbal Abuse

SILVIA IN THE WAVES

Giovana Olmos; 2017; Canada; 13 min.

Noa struggles to honor the identity of his recently deceased parent while his mother tries to uphold the appearance of a conventional family. Grief and fantasy entwine to reveal the complex relationship between history and erasure, identity and memory.

Content Warning: Discussion or Depiction of Suicide

CHUDALA

Maaria Sayed; 2016; India; 15 min.; in Hindi and Urdu with English subtitles

A return to his childhood home brings Rehan back to memories of his father’s rejection of his gender. An atmospheric, poignant story of coming out as trans in a lower-middle-class Muslim family.

Content Warning: Identity Based Abuse or Harassment

MRS. MCCUTCHEON

John Sheedy; 2017; Australia; 16 min.

Ten-year-old Mrs. McCutcheon is having trouble fitting in at a new school until meeting Trevor, a tough little charmer who also suffers prejudice due to his Aboriginal heritage. With the school dance only days away, the two must navigate the pressures of school and family and find the courage to be who they are.

Whether it’s a dirty water dog or a sense of self you seek, head east to follow Brooke Guinan, New York City’s first openly transgender firefighter. Showing just what it takes to live openly in the face of a strong, male-dominated tradition, WOMAN ON FIRE brings you the tale of this third-generation firefighter and her chosen and blood families. These 21st-century superheroes face fears and obstacles together and give new meaning to words like home and family. A heartfelt portrait of courage and change in the American family and workplace, this heartwarming documentary is a testament to love, courage, and loyalty.

Opening Short: SWIM

Mari Walker; 2016; USA; 11 min.

The buoyancy of the water lifts a young trans teen’s spirits during a secret midnight swim.

Reminiscent of the works of David Lynch and John Waters, KAIROS DIRT & THE ERRANT VACUUM connects a group of mystical misfits as a trans-worldly being invades the characters’ dreams. Television monitors, radio frequencies, and orifices all become portals to a mysterious dimension, revealing an alternate realm of shameless, subconscious desires. Using an unearthly, genderless apparition and fantastic, carnal dreamscapes, director Madsen Minax invites you to question what is self, what is other, and what we must give up to become something else. Awarded Best Feature at the 2016 Indie Memphis Film Festival.

Content Warning: Nudity/Non-Explicit Sexual Situations

Opening Short: REBELLIOUS ESSENCE (UPORNI DUH)

Ana Cigon; 2017; Slovenia; 5 min.

This kaleidoscopic animation follows a psychedelic genderfluid cat requesting a passport at the Office of the Ministry for Cat Affairs, only to be met by the bureaucratic nightmare of clerks demanding to know the cat’s gender.

Tristan Aitchison; 2017; Kenya; 76 min.; in Swahili and English with English subtitles

Filmed over three years, this documentary explores the hopes, dreams, and everyday reality of Kenya’s intersex and transgender communities. When Sidney’s family disowns him and threatens his life, he flees to Nairobi, where he meets a group of transgender friends. The four comrades share what it’s like to grow up and live as trans and intersex people in the face of prejudice and transphobia, disclosing painful secrets of their struggles, sometimes with humor. Together they fight harsh discrimination and discover life, love, and self-worth.

Content Warning: Implied Violence/Discussion or Depiction of Rape/Discussion or Depiction of Self-Harm/Swearing or Verbal Abuse

This transmedia project explores intersex identity through beautifully shot interviews about family, pressures from the medical industry, and societal standards that dictate what is commonly accepted as a male or female body.

Are you new to transgender concepts? Want to learn how to be a good ally? Join us for a heartwarming documentary short, CREATING GENDER INCLUSIVE SCHOOLS, and then stick around for a discussion with Michael Woodward and Nikki Neuen from of Gender Diversity, a local organization that provides education about gender-inclusive schools, support groups for families, and the Gender Odyssey conferences. Bring all your questions to this educational evening, and come away with a working vocabulary and a more solid understanding of how to be supportive to trans and gender-nonconforming folks!﻿

Come join us Wednesday May 9th at the Northwest Film Forum at 7pm for our next Three Dollar Bill Wednesday screening! Programmed by Three Dollar Bill Cinema and presented by Seattle PRIDE. This film will be announced in April.